1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to access control for computer network resources and, more particularly, to controlling access to a network location that provides interactive learning processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
As commerce becomes more global, the need for understanding second languages and being able to communicate in them is growing. The Foreign Language/Second Language training industry therefore is a rapidly expanding industry, and is now investigating how to apply new technologies, such as the Internet, to such training. Current language training product elements include printed materials, audio cassettes, software applications, video cassettes, and Internet sites through which information and distance learning lessons are provided. Several attempts have been made to apply various Foreign Language/Second Language training processes to the Internet world, but most of them are simple conversions of printed, audio, and video material into a computer client-server application; i.e. the Internet applications are typically not offering new features beyond the current features offered by conventional media.
The publishing industry involved with Foreign Language/Second Language training is vulnerable to lost revenue due to forgeries, lending, photocopying, and second-hand purchases of their printed training materials. A forgery occurs when someone makes an unauthorized copy of the original training materials, such as by illicit photocopying. The forgeries may be passed off as genuine, authorized materials. When a forgery is sold, the publisher receives no compensation and all revenue from the forgery is collected by the seller of the forged copy. Lending losses occur because copies of original materials are loaned to third parties, who then need not purchase the source materials. Similarly, unauthorized photocopying of original materials results in reduced demand for the materials. Second-hand purchases deprive publishers of revenue because the second-hand seller receives the revenue from such sales. All of these uses of original materials are either unauthorized or currently beyond the control of the publishers, and all reduce the publisher's revenue. It would be advantageous if producers of language training materials could capture some of the lost income from such uses of their printed materials.
Modern computer technology can provide a network implementation of software applications to make on-line versions of the training materials available, thereby enabling access and approaching larger numbers of users. Computer technology can also be used to supplement and enhance the presentation of training materials. Network access to such training materials is conveniently implemented via the Internet. Because on-line access is so easily obtained, the easy access also means that the opportunity for unauthorized usage of the applications and materials in the new medium is greater. Speaker recognition technology is a potentially powerful means of increasing the efficiency, quality, and enjoyment of language instruction through on-line access. There are many applications, in different areas (such as credit card transaction authorizations, security access, password protection for access to computerized systems, etc.), where speaker recognition technology is being applied as a security measure to ensure proper identification of a user.
A variety of speaker recognition products are currently offered by companies such as Speech Works International, Inc. of Boston, Mass., USA and Dialogic Corporation of Parsippany, N.J., USA, and the like. Speaker recognition technology also is currently being offered by companies such as ITT SpeakerKey, NetKey and WEBKey, Lucent Speaker Verification, and “SpeakEZ” from T-Netix, Inc. of Englewood, Colo., USA. An example of a commercial application is the integration of speaker verification into the “Mac OS 9” operating system by Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., USA for voice verification of user access to the computer operating system. In such systems, access is denied until a speaker recognition process is completed.
The phenomena of photocopying, second-hand purchase, lending, and forgery is a significant problem for the publishing industry. The publishing industry suffers significant losses of potential income due to the significant rise in second-hand sales of previously used materials, and due to purchases of books and the lending and photocopying of books, primarily in the educational sector. There are jurisdictions which advocate the enactment of lending and photocopying laws. Many of these laws might benefit the consumer, but will be highly detrimental to the publisher, because they will result in a decrease of purchases of original materials from the publisher. In addition, the forgery phenomenon prevalent in the designer clothing industry has infiltrated the publishing industry as well, resulting in serious profit losses to the publisher.
Internet-based distance learning techniques are being used, where an instructional provider maintains an Internet location such as a Web site and users visit the teaching Web site to receive both instruction and assessment of skills. As noted above, however, the opportunity for fraudulent use of such learning sites is great. For example, an authorized user may gain access to the Web site for a computer learning session, but then may leave the computer and a different student may continue, taking the place of the authorized student. This is undesirable for at least two reasons: first, the performance that is viewed by the service provider is not the performance of the actual student to whom it is attributed; and secondly, at least two persons are utilizing the learning site, although only one is providing payment or being charged, resulting in revenue loss for the Web site provider.
From the discussion above, it should be apparent that there is a need for a publishing product that incorporates both printed and Internet materials and that can be used only by authorized persons. Such access control would permit the publisher to benefit from licensing fees and thus earn income from users who acquired their products from sources other than the publisher. The present invention fulfills this need.